Blame game overshadows elusive solution
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Dimapur, August 11 2011: The so-called 33-Point Charter of Demands to find a solution for the Naga political problem has become a blame game now in Nagaland.

The ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) has demanded from the Congress party in Nagaland to come out with its clear agenda over the matter.

The problem started when the NSCN (Khaplang) had issued a press release some days ago disclosing the purported 33-Point Charter of Demands attributed to the NSCN-IM which was allegedly submitted to the Government of India.

In that press note the NSCN (Khaplang) acused the rival NSCN-IM of trying to hoodwink the Nagas by such Charter of Demands.

Reacting swiftly to that press note of the NSCN (Khaplang), the NSCN-IM said the alleged 33 Points proposal for Naga solution as mentioned and questioned by the NSCN-K was like a bold from the blue.

"Because the nature of the Indo-Naga political talks is such that except the negotiating teams of NSCN and the government of India nobody knows the exact contents of the proposals and counter proposals.

Moreover, the points are seen to be twisted and invented to serve vested interests," the NSCN-IM reacted.

On August 6, Congress leader and former Nagaland minister K.Therie had claimed that the 33-Point Charter of Demands was prepared by him for the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Congress party, Nagaland unit and not by the NSCN-IM.

Threrie also said that the charter of demands was his 'personal rough working paper' which was still under preparation.

Today, the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) said the Congress party must come out clearly with its agenda or else apologise to the Naga people for another of its blunders.

In a press communique issued to the media today, the NPF pointed out that the Indo-Naga political dialogue is being carried out between the Government of India and the Naga undergrounds, and, therefore, voiced surprise to observe that the Congress leaders in Nagaland under its Political Affairs Committee has discussed and endorsed a document that contains a charter of demands.

"This shows the intent and hidden agenda of the Congress, despite the fact that the Congress is not a party to the ongoing dialogue", the statement of NPF said.

Maintaining that this episode has once again exposed the double game of the Congress, the ruling NPF also said the opposition party cannot take the Naga people for granted.

The NPF, moreover, expressed surprise to observe that, despite being in power for more than 20 years, the Congress Political Affairs Committee has woken up to the need for a political settlement of the Naga political issue only now when it is in opposition.

It questioned the Congress on what it was doing when it was in power, the NPF said.

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